Dunham Saison du Pinacle

Saison houblonnée au Citra, Simcoe, Topaz et Sylva !
Hopped-up Saison with Citra, Simcoe, Topaz and Sylva

3.8

162 reviews

Dunham, Canada

Community reviews

4.0 750ml brown bottle, capped. Golden colour, hazy. Frothy white head with extra creamy lacing and a tight bead, honestly looks just about perfect in the glass. Nose - full of dry hops. A lot of citrus - lime, grapefruit, orange peel. Some wild yeast and hints of tropical fruits as well. Taste - citrusy, bright, juicy, lots of citrus peel bitterness and some tartness. There is a bit of chalky yeast character, kind of wish it wasn't present but it's not ruining the experience for me. Carbonation is medium to high. Ends with a touch of grass and citrus. Super awesome. I really need to start buying more Dunham brews.

3.7 Bottle from Experience Biere or Peluso Beaubien. Cloudy pale straw gold with a hoppy tangerine bouquet. The taste is bitter, white pepper and herbal spicy hops. Really nice stuff.

4.0 Pours gold into a tulip. Bright white head top hats and craters leaving sheet lacing. Key lime meringue aromas. Soft pineapple and dry earthy yeast front to back. Lasting dusty bitter meringue finish.

4.1 Pours a hazy deep golden colour with one finger of head that lingers. Aromas of brett, citrus, and some peppery notes. Taste matches the aroma with a dry and peppery finish. Champagne-like carbonation. taste is nice but the high carbonation takes away from the overall experience.

3.9 (750ml bottle) Pours a clear yellow body with a medium white head. Aroma of pineapple, passion fruit, pine, and grass. Flavor of pineapple, pine, grain, grass, florals, and lemon with a moderately dry finish.

3.7 Bottle from a gas station in Quebec. Spicy aroma with orange peel. Grape and citrus notes. Spicy and herbal. Bitter finish. Nice.

3.6 Another curated bottle from Les Delires du Terroir. Well this ain’t your grand dad’s saison. There’s an initial sense of saison lightness & spiciness that is swiftly blotted out by big bite hoppiness. Clearly a tipping point that may throw some drinkers off. Lacks the magic of a traditional saison (nothing can compete with the hops here) but if you’re a hop head this will be a delight. Not quite the easy drinking aperitif that some saisons are. Distinct & delicious & debatable. I’m somewhere in the middle on this.

3.8 Dégustée à l'hiver 2015-2016 (De mes notes). .

3.5 October 23, 2015 - Volo Cask Days, Session #1 - gravity cask. Slightly cloudy gold with tiny floaties, nice foamy/bubbly off-white head. Smells like a solid catty IPA - floral, tropical fruit, etc. Taste - yikes that’s bloody bitter - overwhelms the fruit, really; unbalanced (this is a SAISON? REALLY?). Airy, average body, astringent - and an oddly medium-quick finish, seeing as the up-front taste was an assault of bitterness; no palate coating here.

3.4 Crystal-clear blonde. Mountainous white foam hangs around through the final gulp. Orange pith and grapefruit peels dominate over hints of lemongrass, resin, airy phenols, hay and grass in the clean but oversimple nose. Mild note of plaster, as well. Crunchy carbonation. Bone dry from the get go, with an ensuing body-aiding splash of subtle mango that’s quickly overridden by rudimentary orange pith which throws its fair share of resin. Some chalkiness soon develops from the resin, which in turn exaggerates the stark center, and the notably lean and crisp pils malt lacks the soft depth to cushion the astringency. Quite stinging and nearly oppressive in its simplistic bitterness, leaving merely a trace of lemongrass nuance it its wake. Just not a lot of elegance to the one-dimensional hopping. Phenols are airy and peppery, but again pummeled by the unruly hops. Minor cheeselike note arises as well, but merely a trace of nectar extends from the citrus-dominant hops to help counter this. Floral tangerine and kumquat are faintly perceptible in the lean and simple finish which reveals just a dab of timidly supportive hay, as grapefruit zest lingers. Well, Dunham knows how to create a dry and cleanly fermented beer, but unfortunately they’ve chosen to pair those qualities with overaggressive hops which are detrimentally resinous rather than finessed and elegant. Gotta like the clean fermentation, but overall it’s just too New World-y for me (sloppily dry-hopped with high-alpha American hops causes my attention span to shorten really fast), and just doesn’t have the yeasty soulfulness or balance to make me want to explore the other half of the bottle. Just not very evocative for me.

4.0 appearance: pale opaque yellow, big white head shrinking to a thick cap. aroma: grapefruit, lemon, melon, mango, pine, funky brett. taste: bright citrus, tart lemon, plasticky brett, grass, herbs. finish: clean, bright, prickly, lingering citrus and funk. notes: Great saison. Would drink again. Bottle from the Rare Beer Club.

3.8 Bomber pour. Hazy straw, foamy white head, moderate lacing. Spicy nose with some coriander, lemon, some flowery, some bready yeasts. Light and crisp, slightly bitter and a bit tart. Crisp and refreshing. Moderate carbonation. A nice May sipper.

3.7 Pours murky golden with a lot of carbonation. Aroma is bread, wheat with a dry finish.

4.2 Bottle, shared with Parksy and others. Hazy golden with a very lively white head that collapses into a rocky foamy landscape while leaving gobs of lace. Lean crackery malts allow expressive yeast and hop notes to shine, lots of hay/dried grass, some earthy herbal notes that lean toward sage, with a floral, peppery finish. Very cool.

4.2 Sample from bottle at Birreria Volo. Head drops rather fast but retains as a nice layer until the end; body pale yellowish golden colour. Really nice citrus headstart, piquant and somewhat pungent grassy hoppy aroma with faint bubblegum notes and fresh summery fruits, citrus peel too. Wow. Tastes a bit less as wow but very good still, more dry and farmhousey than indicated in the aroma. Citric, indistinct ripe and fresh fruitiness. Refreshing, moderate fine carbonation and good body with the kind of dry finish that makes you beg for another sip. Awesome. To me, this is on par with DDC’s Saison du Parc.

3.7 Light bubblegum and some dusty resin like cleaning out your attic. Pours hazy golden with good head and lacing. Light bitter finish. Great balance. Light citrus. Easy drinking, great for hot summer day like this random one in February. Tap at Sovereign.

3.8 From my brother: pours golden with white head. Aroma is hay, hops, hints of flowers, hints of citrus. Taste is quite dry and fairly bitter. Sweetness very limited. Powerful bitter finish and moderate aftertaste. What a saison is about in my opinion.

4.1 26/XI/16 - 75cl bottle @ Vini Birre Ribelli (Brussels) - BB: n/a (2016-1388) Thanks to sebletitje and 77ships for sharing today’s beers! Little cloudy orange beer, creamy white head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: resinous and hoppy, grapefruit, citrus, spicy, pretty peppery, dry spices. MF: soft carbon, medium body. Taste: bitter, sourish, hoppy, grapefruit, bit lemony. Aftertaste: sourish, very bitter, resinous, citrus.

3.6 cloudy yellow. aroma and flavor of funky citrus, melon, lemon, yeast. Light bodied and prickly. Pretty nice overall.

4.0 Bue en bouteille au VBR 2016 Couleur blonde, belle mousse et belle effervescence Nez sur l’acide le malt et le lactique En bouche attaque sur le malt, l’acidité continuité sur un bel équilibre final sur les fruits jaunes et la levure

3.7 Bottle sample @ Vini Birre Ribelli ’16 shared with 77ship and Tderoeck. Dorée, col blanc. Arôme est plus abouti que la version fleurs sauvages dégustée le même jour. Retrouve plus le bouquet rustique hennuyer adoubé d’un léger houblon noble qui offre de belles note de fleuri. Malt pils et froment? Retrouve aussi de belles pointes d’agrumes et fines effluves tropicales. Palais est malté avec un effet grains ajoutant une petite sécheresse en fin de bouche. retrouve un fruité agrumes et herbacé plaisant et un léger effet rappelant le sureau. Pointe d’épice perce et accompagné d’un côté bourgeon frais fleuri des houblons. Je suppose que le nom n’a rien de géographiquement proche avec Pinnacle le cidre de glace.

3.5 Thank you for sharing Sebletitje & tderoeck! 750 ml. bottle sampled @ Vini Birre Ribelli 2016. Hazy citrus golden, little white head. Very promising nose, mellow lemon, zesty, fruity citrus fruits & lemon. Taste fall bland, low fish guts yeast, mineral zest, low lemon, bit watery, empty, BE esters,... Body is thin, yeast & BE esters. Expected more, Dunham has made some awesome beers but this one just flat & bit empty for me.

3.4 Pours rather clear blonde, small white head. Smell is rather dry, bitter. Taste is sharp, full, bit bitter. Some Pine. OK

4.5 Pours a hazy hay yellow with a massive head. Even after drinking some it kept trying to get out of the glass! Tons of activity with very fine bubbles. Some of the thickest and most gorgeous lacing I have ever seen. Aroma is guava, mango, orange zest, melon and lemon. Taste is green hops, orange zest, hay, white pepper, barnyard, mango, pine and pineapple. Palate is medium-thin with a long dry & bitter finish. Overall- Fantastic! Probably the best Saison I have tried so far. I’d say it’s a farmhouse IPA due to the level of hops.

3.6 750 ml bottle from Mr. B’s Wine & Spirits on sale for $5.99 (probably not too fresh). Hazy yellowish orange appearance with a huge, fluffy white head that lingers. Aroma of mild citrus fruit, floral/zesty hops, toasted grain, light yeast and a light peppery spice. Similar flavor, moderately bitter and lightly sweet with a lingering, dry and bitter finish with unfortunate hints of oxidation. Medium body with ample carbonation. Pretty good overall, would love to try it fresh though.

4.2 Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fingers of rocky light ivory head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: dry barnyardy funk, crackery malt, tropical fruit, pithy grapefruit, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, moderate funky tart. (8/10) Medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, bone dry verging on astringent moderate bitter and funky lingering finish. (4/5) I dunno that it’s the “pinnacle” of saisons, but dammit, it’s close. Complex aromas are dominated but not overwhelmed by a pleasant dusty funk, and the flavour is nicely balanced by an emphatic bitter. The PNW and ANZ hops provide an enjoyable combination of vinous fruit and citrus that bolster, rather than obscure, the underlying barnyardy funk. I suppose the hop character adds to my usual complaint about beefy ABV presence to make this a fairly out-of-spec Saison, but I have to say I quite enjoy it. Definitely edging into world-class territory regardless of whether you consider it a Saison or a BSPA. (17/20)

3.6 Bottle from Brewery Creek, Vancouver Hazy to cloudy blond color, with generous head. Deep aroma, strong funky yeast presence, and citrus peel. The mouthfeel is very dry; there is a bit of crackery malt, very strong spicy yeast flavor, strong bitterness, and hop resins; the final is a bit astringent, but there is also some chicory. The final is a bit over the top, but overall it’s a Saison with character, bold.

4.6 Visuel: D’un blond ensoleillé, cette Saison est voilée par sa levure en suspens. Une effervescence fine, mais rapide, nous offre un col blanc aux bulles hétérogènes. La mousse s’amoindrira en un anneau épais, laissant une petite dentelle derrière elle. Arômes: Au nez, les levures Saison baignent au travers d’un bouquet fruité. Du pamplemousse rose et de la nectarine croquante sont soutenus par des notes épicées et quelque peu sauvages. Saveurs: En bouche, les notes «fermières» se démarquent davantage. Celles-ci sont accompagnées d’une amertume prononcée au profil aromatique purement fruité. Un clin d’œil éphémère malté équilibre le produit avant de laisser toute la place à l’amertume suivant une finale sèche. Texture: La Saison du Pinacle est une blonde amère au corps ronduleux. Son effervescence est picotante.

3.7 Bottle. Head is initially large, frothy/creamy, off-white, fully lasting. Body is hazy medium to dark yellow. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), moderately hoppy (melon, kiwi, flowers, grapefruit), lightly to moderately yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of fruit cocktail / fruit cup. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately to heavily bitter. Medium body, velvety/watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. The sourness is a bit much for me, but the fruity hop aroma is pleasant. None of the usual icky odors from Simcoe or Citra either, so that’s a relief. Super duper appearance too. Doesn’t strike me as terribly saison-ish, but it’s a nice Belgian-style brewski. Thanks Mike!

4.4 Lightly hazed gold with a permanent white head. Intense ester and hop-driven aroma manifests as melon, lime, herbs/lavender, papaya, bubble gum; malt is shown as faint hay and honey, and yeast is lightly phenolic (pepper, minerals) and seems to have an indescribable tutti-frutti quality, something I find in some brettanomyces strains but here it comes from (my guess) ester and hop. Such an intoxicating aroma, as it warms there are notes of honeysuckle and dried herbs à la French Strisselspalt, and nothing at all to make me guess Citra or Simcoe (no pee, burnt pineapple, garlic, onion, or resin). In the mouth it’s rich, sweet, savory, supple, a little salty, viscous without being weighty. Invigorating hop acids and a dusty touch of yeast do well against the sugar and fruit qualities, and the natural carbonation is silky-soft from flawless bottle conditioning. It’s an absurdly long and bitter finish but the hop use is a thing of beauty, and the texture and flavor balance are dialed-in. A stunning hoppy Belgian beer that speaks to De la Senne, De Ranke, and Thiriez.